Becoming a literary master starting from the story of Minglan

Chapter 335 The Shen Family on the Right Track
"Oh?"

"Participate in this autumn imperial examination?"

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan's words, Sheng Hong was immediately overjoyed!
He looked up at his son in front of him, but his eyes narrowed slightly involuntarily, as if there was something unusual about them.

"What does Quan'er mean by that?"

"Could it be that he's confident he'll pass the exam this time?"

Sheng Hong was secretly delighted, but he didn't show it on his face.

He lowered his eyelids slightly, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart.

As a Confucian scholar, Sheng Hong naturally had to maintain his image as a strict father, never showing his emotions.

So, Sheng Hong maintained his expressionless face, then stared seriously at Sheng Changquan and asked, "Changquan, what do you mean by that?"

"Are you confident you can pass the high school entrance exam?"

Sheng Hong was happy inside, but his expression was quite the opposite.

He frowned, his voice carrying an understated anger: "If it's not possible, Changquan, you don't need to be in such a hurry!"

"As for what I told you in my previous letter, don't be impatient!"

"If you were to lose sight of the bigger picture and ruin your literary career, it would be an even greater loss!"

Although the Confucian school claims that "the Master did not speak of strange phenomena, physical prowess, disorder, or spirits" and does not believe in such supernatural things, this group of people still believe in the theory of literary fortune.

Literary fortune, or the fortune of scholars.

They believed that if a person could maintain power, his literary luck would be excellent, allowing him to accumulate sufficient knowledge and experience, and then win again and again until he could win no more!

Similarly, if a person's momentum of victory is interrupted, their literary fortune will take a sharp downturn, and they are unlikely to regain their former glory.

In other words, if Sheng Changquan's unparalleled success in the imperial examinations were interrupted, it would be difficult for him to replicate his former glory of achieving the "minor triple crown" (winning the top three honors in the imperial examinations).

Then you will definitely not be able to win the title of Jieyuan!
Indeed, after guessing that Sheng Changquan was confident of passing the imperial examination, Sheng Hong had already raised his expectations for him from passing the provincial examination to winning the top score in the provincial examination.

These changes are quite in line with Shanda's style.

Having gained Long, one desires Shu; one keeps one's talents hidden.

"Father!"

Upon hearing Sheng Hong's words, Sheng Changquan chuckled and then said, "Father, you may not know this, but in these six years, I have not only traveled around the beautiful landscapes of this dynasty."

“My master not only taught me by words and deeds, explaining the meaning of books to me during our travels, but also took me to visit the local literary giants wherever we went.”

Sheng Changquan cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to the east, the direction of Mr. Zhuang's ancestral home, to show his reverence for his mentor. He then said, "My teacher also specifically asked me to exchange and debate with the disciples of those grandmasters, so that we could complement each other."

"So, my son's homework may not be as detailed as what he learns at home, but the depth and breadth of his knowledge are much greater!"

Looking at Sheng Hong, whose expression remained "calm," Sheng Changquan concluded, "Therefore, Father need not worry about his son failing the exam!"

"With all the experience I've had over the years, my son thinks he has a pretty good chance of passing the provincial examination!"

Sheng Changquan's voice was indifferent, as if he didn't care about these things at all, and was content and at ease.

However, his words were extremely arrogant, displaying a somewhat "proud and complacent" attitude.

However, given Sheng Changquan's wit, how could he dare to speak like that in front of Sheng Hong?
Isn't he afraid of Sheng Hong's wrath?

really!

"presumptuous!"

A loud shout suddenly rang out from inside the room!
Given Sheng Hong's temperament, how could he allow Sheng Changquan to be so smug?

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan's "confident words," Sheng Hong flew into a rage and slammed his hand hard on the desk in front of him!
"Ignorant brat, how dare you be so arrogant?" Sheng Hong roared.

When Sheng Hong said this, his voice was loud and his aura imposing, but a hint of smugness flashed deep in his eyes.

"What, Sheng Changquan!"

"Do you still consider yourself a once-in-a-millennium genius?"

Sheng Hong loudly reprimanded Sheng Changquan, who was standing in front of him.

At this moment, Sheng Hong's face also showed a furious expression, which at first glance resembled that of a Vajra Arhat in a temple.

In fact, Sheng Hong naturally trusted what Sheng Changquan said and believed that he was capable of passing the provincial examination.

but!

As Sheng Changquan's father, Sheng Hong had an obligation to educate him and make him understand the rules of conduct and speech.

Moreover, because his expectations for Sheng Changquan had risen, a mere examination degree was no longer enough to satisfy Sheng Hong's ever-growing "expectations".

In his view, since Sheng Changquan had previously won the "Minor Triple Crown" (a prestigious honor in the imperial examinations), it meant that he had a talent for studying, and it was not impossible for him not to continue in this field.

Who knows, Sheng Changquan might even achieve the Grand Triple Crown in the future, becoming the first unparalleled genius in this dynasty to achieve six consecutive Grand Triple Crowns!

Of course, there was another reason why Sheng Hong was angry.

The reason for this is that he has been waiting for this opportunity for a very, very long time!
It is said that Sheng Hong personally raised the three male members of the Sheng family. When they were four or five years old, Sheng Hong would personally take them to the front hall and select the best tutor to teach them to read and write.

Of the three children, Sheng Changbai needs no introduction.

He was mature beyond his years, steady and dignified, and rarely caused his father, Sheng Hong, any worry.

Since he was the eldest son, Sheng Hong didn't say much.

Sheng Changfeng, however, was different. He was unpredictable, impulsive, and vain, and was the one who was punished the most by Sheng Hong among the three brothers.

However, because of Lin Qinshuang's presence, Sheng Changfeng's doting affection never diminished, which meant that Sheng Hong's "fatherly love" was never fully satisfied.

Therefore, Sheng Hong secretly planned to give all the remaining fatherly love to Sheng Changquan.

The first two cases are due to the issue of their identities, making it difficult for Sheng Hong to express his "fatherly love."

The latter, having been punished for years, had already caused Sheng Hong to lose "interest" in him. Therefore, the last one, Sheng Changquan, naturally became his new "prey".

However, because Sheng Changquan was precocious from a young age, he was quite different from ordinary people. Therefore, the cautious Sheng Changquan did not allow Sheng Hong to find a single flaw in him over the past ten years, and naturally he never received any "teachings" from him.

It should be noted that even Sheng Changbai was disciplined by Sheng Hong when he was young, but Sheng Changquan never made a mistake.

Therefore, when Sheng Hong got the chance to reprimand Sheng Changquan, a hint of a smile appeared in his eyes.

Upon hearing Sheng Changquan's arrogant and complacent words, Sheng Hong immediately flew into a rage, transforming into a judge and giving him a severe lesson.

Faced with Sheng Hong's righteous words, Sheng Changquan could only remain silent and obediently endure the criticism.

Finally, only after Sheng Changquan showed an extremely "ashamed" expression did Sheng Hong put it back with satisfaction.

only!

"what?"

"strangeness?"

After Sheng Changquan's figure disappeared quickly, Sheng Hong suddenly frowned, feeling that something was strange about the matter.

"I hadn't finished saying what I was going to say, so why did Changquan leave?"

Only then did Sheng Hong realize something was amiss. He scratched his head in frustration, a faint sadness welling up inside him.

"Good guy!"

"Could I have been tricked by that brat Changquan...?"

"..."

Thinking of this, Sheng Hong's face gradually became much more interesting.

……

Zeyutang.

"came back!"

"He's back!" "Young Master is back!"

"..."

After Sheng Changquan devised his plan to "escape" from Sheng Hong's study, he had just approached his own courtyard when he suddenly heard two clear and melodious female voices.

The tinkling and clanging sounded like pearls falling onto a jade plate, creating a lively scene.

However, only the sound of jade beads could be heard, but the person behind them could not be seen. As the sound faded into the distance, Sheng Changquan's figure also disappeared.

"hehe!"

Sheng Changquan could only chuckle at this, then said with a hint of helplessness, "Those two girls!"

"Six years have passed, why are you still so loud and boisterous?"

"You're so good at starting things but never considering the consequences!"

Sheng Changquan was naturally very clear about who the owners of the two voices were.

Who else could be shouting and yelling in Zeyutang, and running away without even greeting their master, besides Xiao Qingfeng and Xiao Mingyue?
Oh, right, there might be another Kikyo who would do something like that.

However, Kikyo is older than Qingfeng and the others, so she is quite sensible in her actions and can be trusted.

"Master!"

When Sheng Changquan stood in front of his courtyard gate, a girl dressed in plain clothes was already standing there, looking at him with teary eyes.

"Sister Cuiming!"

Upon seeing the person who arrived, Sheng Changquan was also somewhat excited, and involuntarily uttered a name he used when he was a child.

Hearing Sheng Changquan call her "sister," Cui Ming was immediately filled with immense emotion!

"So young master still remembers me!"

Cui Ming was happy inside, but she held it in, quickly concealing the tears welling up in her eyes and gently scolding herself.

"Young Master, you've called me by the wrong name again!"

Cui Ming stepped forward and stood in front of Sheng Changquan. She looked at him with a nostalgic yet somewhat reserved gaze and said, "Young Master, you shouldn't call me Sister Cui Ming."

“Cui Ming is just a servant girl, how could she be worthy of being your sister, young master?”

"If people hear this title, young master, you'll be laughed at!"

"hehe!"

Sheng Changquan smiled but remained silent in response to Cui Ming's statement.

Actually, Cui Ming's statement makes some sense. Unless he takes Cui Ming into his household, it would be inappropriate for Sheng Changquan to call her "sister".

After all, at this time, etiquette was highly valued, and the relationships between ruler and subject, father and son were considered fundamental principles of the universe. Therefore, one still had to be mindful of the proper conduct between master and servant.

"Master!"

"Master!"

"..."

Before Cuiming could say anything more to Sheng Changquan, several more people rushed out of Zeyutang.

Then, Ziyuan, Jiegeng, Qingfeng, and Mingyue excitedly ran out from the inner room of the courtyard and surrounded Sheng Changquan to greet him, saying, "This servant greets Young Master, may you be well!"

The four of them bowed together and paid their respects to Sheng Changquan.

"Hehe, alright, you can all get up now!"

Sheng Changquan tugged at the hair of Xiao Qingfeng, who was at the forefront, and spoke softly to the group of maids in front of him.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, all the women stood up with charming smiles.

"It's been so many years, how have you all been?"

Surrounded by the maids, Sheng Changquan walked into the courtyard. As he walked, he asked, "There shouldn't be any trouble in the manor, right?"

"This……"

The outspoken Kikyo opened her mouth first, but after uttering only one word, she suddenly realized something and quickly covered her mouth.
"Ok?"

Sheng Changquan was somewhat displeased with this: "Kikyo, just say what you want to say!"

Now that he's back, Sheng Changquan is prepared to find out what has happened to the Sheng family in the past few years.

……

Shenfu.

Unlike the exquisite Sheng Mansion, the Shen Mansion is much grander and more imposing.

Regardless of the size of the Shen Mansion, the ancient trees as thick as bathtubs, the flowers as beautiful as women, and the strangely shaped rocks that look like visitors from outer space are enough to arouse endless envy and resentment.

After all, these rare and elegant objects are seldom seen outside, but they can be found everywhere in the gardens of Zao Shen Mansion.

Therefore, one has to admire the impressive background of the Shen family, a powerful clan in Shandong!

"boom!"

"boom!"

"..."

With a knock on the door, a young servant dressed in blue gently knocked and softly called out, "Young master, it's time to set off!"

"Ok?"

Suddenly, a human voice came from inside the room.

Then, after a series of crackling sounds, a handsome man dressed in white, with a somewhat thin build, suddenly pushed open the door and walked out of the house.

"What, is it time yet?"

The man in white glanced at the servant beside him and casually asked.

"Young Master, the time has indeed come!"

Upon seeing the person emerge, the young servant in blue shrank back, looking somewhat frightened.

He swallowed hard, trying his best to speak clearly without any accent.

"Master!"

The young servant in blue bent down and whispered, "Young master, news has come from ahead that the eldest mistress and the young lady's carriage are almost at the east gate!"

"Right now, young master, you need to set off quickly, otherwise I'm afraid we won't be able to arrive before the eldest lady and young lady's carriage enters the city."

The young servant in blue mustered his courage and secretly glanced up at his young master, his heart pounding!
This young servant in blue was a newcomer who knew nothing. All he knew was to obey his leader's orders and do his job diligently.

This time, he came to remind the young master to set off. It was actually his first time doing something like this, so his reaction was not surprising.

"Ok!"

The man in white nodded and chuckled.

"In that case, let's go!"

The man in white paid no attention to the servants around him, and simply spoke according to his own habit.

"Yes, Master!"

Seeing that the young master had no other instructions, the servant in blue quickly responded and then led the man in white away.

There, the servants in the manor had already prepared a carriage for the young master.

(End of this chapter)